New York University

In his new book Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, New York University professor Eric Klinenberg explores the rise of single person households. Now making up 28% of all US households, and up to 50% in urban centres like Manhattan, London and Paris, people around the world are choosing to live alone in growing numbers. Klinenberg attributes part of this societal shift to the communications revolution. Today living alone is not a solitary experience; if anything, it can be extremely social due to the connected nature of modern society. From smartphones to instant messaging services, social media platforms and the wide array of connected devices, being social from afar has become the norm.

So what are the implications of raising a society that fosters its relationships in cyberspace? For starters, technology addiction has become a real-world problem for many. A recent study conducted by Chicago University’s Booth Business School found that for some people it is more difficult to resist using Twitter or checking emails than cigarettes and alcohol.